Associations between caregiver stress and child verbal abuse and corporal punishment in Thailand’s impoverished Deep South region during the COVID-19 pandemic

The objectives of this study are: (1) To describe the levels of parental stress, self-reported child verbal abuse and corporal punishment among caregivers, and;(2) To assess the extent that having moderate or higher levels of parental stress is associated with self-reported child verbal abuse and corporal punishment. We randomly sampled 12 villages and sampled 40 households per village in Thailand’s impoverished Deep South region in June 2020. Study participants included 466 caregivers residing in sampled households. Trained enumerators used the standard ST-5 questionnaire to measure stress level and asked the participants to self-report the study outcomes. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Approximately 19.1% of caregivers reported moderate, high, or severe level of stress. Caregivers with moderate and higher levels of stress were more likely than caregivers with low level of stress to report child verbal abuse (48% vs. 23%, respectively;Adj. OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.90, 5.11) and corporal punishment (28% vs. 8%, respectively;Adj. OR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.36, 5.04). We found associations between caregiver’s stress level and self-reported verbal abuse and corporal punishment of children in the household. However, social desirability, lack of details in the answers, and potential confounding by mental illness co-morbidities were notable limitations of the study. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Mental Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Effects of Character Strength-Based Intervention vs Group Counseling on Post-Traumatic Growth, Well-Being, and Depression Among University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Guangdong, China: A Non-Inferiority Trial.

Purpose: This study assessed the effects of character strengths-based invention (CSI) vs group counseling (GC) on mental health outcomes (ie, post-traumatic growth, well-being, and depression) among university students in Guangdong Province, China. Materials and Methods: We conducted a randomized non-inferiority trial among 124 undergraduates at a medical university during the COVID-19 pandemic. We randomly allocated students to receive either CSI (n=62) or GC (n=62). A qualified psychologist delivered both activities on campus during two consecutive weekends with a total of 7.5 hours and also gave assignments to students during weekdays. We measured the outcomes at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up. We then analyzed data using descriptive statistics and a general linear mixed model. Results: CSI and GC groups had similar baseline characteristics. Both CSI and GC experienced an increase in post-traumatic growth and well-being. The mean±SD scores for post-traumatic growth were significantly higher in CSI compared to GC groups (87.70±14.22 vs 78.15±20.72, respectively), whereas well-being scores were similar between CSI and GC (82.58±16.57 vs 83.68±15.59, respectively). Neither CSI nor GC experienced a reduction in depression scores. Conclusion: CSI had non-inferior effects compared to GC with regards to improvement of post-traumatic growth and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, caveats regarding lack of blinding of investigator and limited generalizability should be considered in the interpretation of the study findings.

Modification of the association between experience of economic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and behavioral health outcomes by availability of emergency cash reserves: findings from a nationally-representative survey in Thailand.

Background: Studies have suggested that economic distress is associated with behavioral health outcomes, while availability of cash reserves for emergencies is associated with a reduction in economic distress. The objective of this study was to assess the extent that the availability of emergency cash reserves modified the association between experience of economic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and behavioral health outcomes in the general adult population of Thailand. Methods: We conducted a nationally-representative phone-based survey in late April 2021. Survey questions included questions on experience of economic distress, and a question on what participants would do to cover a 5,000 Thai Bahts (THB) emergency expense within one week, anxiety and depression screening questions, and questions regarding sleep, exercise, gambling, smoking, and drinking behaviors. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses with adjustment for complex survey designs, and stratified analyses with assessment of heterogeneity of odds ratios between strata and assessment of additive and multiplicative interactions. Results: A total of 1,555 individuals from 15 provinces participated in the survey (participation rate = 68.3%). Approximately 19.6% ± 1.0% of the participants reported that they would cover the 5,000 THB emergency expense only with cash or cash equivalent without resorting to other means. Experience of economic distress was associated with anxiety disorder after adjusting for covariables (Adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.47; 95% CI [1.45-4.19]). There was no evidence that availability of emergency cash reserves significantly modified the stated association, nor the association between experience of economic distress and other outcomes. However, with regard to anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and history of gambling in past 30 days, the p-for-trend values (p-for-trend < 0.001) suggested that those with emergency cash reserves had lower prevalence of these outcomes than those without emergency cash reserves. Conclusions: The study findings did not support our hypothesis that availability of emergency cash reserves modified the association between experience of economic distress and behavioral health outcomes. Nonetheless, the study findings can serve as potentially useful basic information for relevant stakeholders. Future studies should consider qualitative data collection and longitudinal study design in order to explore these associations at greater depths.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Associated Factors among Unvaccinated Workers at a Tertiary Hospital in Southern Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Hospital workers are at high risk of COVID-19 infection which is now vaccine-preventable. However, vaccine refusals also occur among hospital workers, but the associated factors have not been described. OBJECTIVES: To describe: (1) the level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and; (2) the extent that history of pre-pandemic vaccine hesitancy and health beliefs regarding COVID-19 were associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among workers at a tertiary hospital in southern Thailand. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a paper-based self-administered questionnaire at a tertiary hospital in south Thailand in April 2021 and used multivariable logistic regression to identify psychological-behavioral factors associated with vaccine acceptance. RESULTS: Of 359 workers invited to participate, 226 participants returned the questionnaires, 67% of whom reported willingness to accept the vaccine. Vaccine acceptance was associated with perceived severity of disease (Adjusted OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.04, 4.10), perceived harm from non-vaccination (Adjusted OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.27, 4.96), and lower expectation of vaccine efficacy (Adjusted OR = 3.80, 95% CI = 1.87, 7.71). CONCLUSION: Most workers in this study were willing to accept the COVID-19 vaccine, and such acceptance was associated with components of the health belief model. However, the cross-sectional study design did not allow causal inference, and study data were all self-reported with no probing of the responses. These limitations should be considered as caveats in the interpretation of the study findings.

Behavioral drivers and observation of face covering use during the COVID-19 pandemic among outpatients and visitors at a tertiary hospital in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Use of face covering may help prevent COVID-19 transmission. However, there is a lack of data on behavioral drivers of face covering use and compliance to mandatory face covering policy at health facilities. This study aimed to describe behavioral drivers and observed face covering use among outpatients and visitors at a tertiary hospital in Southern Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional study in June 2020. We developed, pilot-tested and finalized an interview questionnaire in Thai. We also developed a structured observation questionnaire. Two trained enumerators recruited outpatients and visitors at the hospital's internal medicine outpatient department (OPD), surgery OPD, and the pharmacy using the convenience sampling. Another enumerator conducted structured observation of face covering use among outpatients and visitors when interviews were not taking place. We analyzed the data using the descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 206 persons that our interview enumerators approached agreed to participate (n = 206; response rate = 62.4%). Nearly all participants stated that the use of face covering was beneficial in preventing COVID-19 infection from others and preventing others from being infected (94.0% and 98.0%, respectively). Common barriers included inconvenience in breathing and speaking (19.7%) and pain at the ears (9.6%). Structured observation of 408 outpatients and visitors showed that nearly everyone (>99%) had a face covering on their person, most of whom (94.6%) covered both their nose and mouth. CONCLUSION: We found near-universal perceived benefits and compliance, but variations in perceived barriers, cues, and social norms for the use of face coverings. The findings of this study can inform future intervention programs on face covering use promotion.

Associations between gaming disorder, parent-child relationship, parental supervision, and discipline styles: Findings from a school-based survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vietnam implemented numerous measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 among school students, including study-at-home/self-quarantine. During the study-at-home period, adolescents may engage in more video gaming than usual, potentially contributing to gaming disorder. However, the regionally-representative prevalence of gaming disorder and its association with parenting practice and discipline practice have not been described. We assessed the prevalence of gaming disorder among Vietnamese adolescents during the initial 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associations between gaming disorder and parenting practice and discipline practice. METHODS: We conducted a school-based, self-administered cross-sectional survey of 2,084 students in Hanoi, Vietnam (response rate = 97.1%). The survey included standardized instruments translated from English to Vietnamese. We performed multilevel logistic regressions to assess the associations between parenting practice, discipline practice, and gaming disorder. RESULTS: The prevalence of gaming disorder among the respondents was 11.6%. Healthy parent-child relationship was protective against gaming disorder (Adj OR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.21, 0.62). Non-supervision, non-discipline, violent discipline were positively associated with gaming disorder. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We found associations between gaming disorder and parent-child relationship, parental supervision, and parental discipline. Future interventional studies should consider assessing the effect of fostering healthy parent-child relationships and appropriate discipline on the occurrence or prognosis of gaming disorders.

Self-reported drinking behaviors and observed violation of state-mandated social restriction and alcohol control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from nationally-representative surveys in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: In Thailand, alcohol is consumed in social setting. The Thai government introduced a ban on alcohol sales and other measures at the beginning of COVID-19 lockdown with gradual lifts. However, drinking behaviors, behaviors of community members, and alcohol marketing activities during the ban and lifts have not been described. METHODS: We contracted a survey research firm to conduct four phone-based cross-sectional surveys between April and July 2020 (n = 6239 participants in total). Participants were recruited from all regions and Bangkok. We also summarized alcohol control measures as reported by multiple sources. We analyzed data from Waves 1 thru 4 using descriptive statistics with adjustment for sampling weight. RESULTS: A total of 6239 persons participated in the 4 waves of surveys. Among survey respondents who were drinkers, half did not drink alcohol during the alcohol sale ban while one-third reported drinking less than usual in the past 30 days. Almost no participant reported drinking more than usual. During the ban (Wave 1), one-sixth of respondents noticed social drinking in their areas while less than 6 percent reported witnessing alcohol sale. Online parties were the predominant alcohol marketing activity, but became less common during Wave 3 compared to Wave 2. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Ever drinkers either abstained from alcohol or drank less than usual during the ban on alcohol sale. However, social drinking and alcohol sale persisted despite the ban.

Installation of pedal-operated alcohol gel dispensers with behavioral nudges and changes in hand hygiene behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A hospital-based quasi-experimental study.

We conducted a quasi-experimental study and compared hand hygiene behaviors at potential pathogen transmission events among outpatient visitors (according to structured observations a trained enumerator) before and after installation of 12 pedal-operated alcohol gel dispensers with behavioral nudges (signs attached to the dispensers) at a tertiary hospital in southern Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. The enumerator observed 243 events during the pre-intervention period and 223 events during the postintervention period. Prevalence of hand hygiene was significantly different between the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods (0 vs 24 events, or 0% vs 11%, respectively; p-value <0.001). However, 21 of 24 hand hygiene events were of participants who came from outside the observation area, used the dispensers, then left. Nonetheless, the intervention might have helped to increase access to hand hygiene materials and created opportunities for hand hygiene among hospital visitors in general.